A Norwegian IOC sought a solution to mitigate against Sustained Casing Pressure (SCP) build-up within the B annulus. This phenomenon is the result of gases (primarily methane) that build up at surface equipment level and eventually need to be released resulting in harmful emissions to the atmosphere.

With these concerns in mind and given the distance and formation conditions, the client, mindful of environmental impact, wanted to avoid bringing top of cement to the 13-3/8” shoe.

The solution had to go beyond SCP mitigation with client policy dictating the need for a fully qualified ISO 14310 V0 well barrier.

The 1214 Welltec® Annular Barrier (WAB®) was selected to provide the required V0 seal and simultaneously eliminate SCP and methane emissions by forming a gas-tight seal within the casing, isolating the formation below. Load simulations for the 9-5/8" casing were meticulously calculated, ensuring that the deployment of the WAB would not only meet the load envelope but also achieve V0 leak rate criteria at 5,000 psi of expansion pressure.

The 1214 WAB was successfully deployed with the 9-5/8" casing and set as a standalone solution at the conclusion of primary cementing, carried out within the 13-3/8" casing.

Primary well barrier verification was completed via pressure test from the surface, within the B annulus.

The WAB solution eliminated SCP and ensured that methane gas remained within the formation, ensuring that the completion aligned with the client’s commitment to environmentally conscious energy practices.

Subsequent primary well barrier verification confirmed the effectiveness of WAB technology.

Stringent requirements were met in terms of V0 leak rate criteria, in full accordance with ISO 14310 qualification.